Holocene stability and recent dramatic changes in micromammalian communities of northwestern Patagonia

Human subsistence and environmental stability during the last 2200 years in Epullán Chica cave (northwestern Patagonia, Argentina): A perspective from the zooarchaeological record

“…Paleoecological inferences are usually based on presence/absence of some species and/or relative changes of its frequencies. Our analysis of bone remains and taxonomic profiles of the samples suggests that the main taphonomic agents that produced the ECh deposits were owls, as those which were involved in the genesis of the micromammal samples in the nearby LL (Crivelli Montero et al, 1996a;Pardiñas, 1999a,b;Pardiñas and Teta, 2013). Based on these findings, paleoenvironmental reconstruction was supported on comparisons between both fossil and recent micromammals assemblage derivate from owl pellets samples (Andrews, 1990;Pardiñas, 1999a,b).…”

“…According to Andrews (1990), these categories are based both on the degree of modification by digestive corrosion and frequencies of affected elements. On the other hand, taphonomic evidences of human activities were evaluated, such as cut marks, pounding, scraping, intentional fracture, percussion marks and thermoalteration (e.g., Binford, 1981;Shipman et al, 1984;Blumenschine et al, 1996;Mengoni Goñalons, 1999;Pardiñas, 1999b;Medina et al, 2012). Based on color and texture of the bone surfaces and the uniformity of the attributes, the characterization of the type of thermoalteration such as burned, carbonized and calcined, was assessed (Shipman et al, 1984;Stiner et al, 1995).…”

“…Based on these findings, paleoenvironmental reconstruction was supported on comparisons between both fossil and recent micromammals assemblage derivate from owl pellets samples (Andrews, 1990;Pardiñas, 1999a,b). Comparisons focused on exploring the paleoenvironmental significance of archaeological samples were performed using a wide range of recent owl pellet samples produced by Bubo virginianus magellanicus (Magellanic horned owl) and Tyto alba (barn owl) that were recovered from nest and roosting sites across the study area, including a three-year sample of fresh owl pellets produced by T. alba in the vicinity of ECh (Cañad on del Tordillo, 40 23 0 28 00 S, 70 11 0 48 00 W, Pardiñas et al, 2003;Pardiñas and Teta, 2013).…”

“…One of this archaeological sites, Epull an Grande cave [LL], with an entire Holocene sequence and located in the middle Limay River basin, has been studied from archaeological, geological, biological, zooarchaeological and paleoecological perspectives (e.g., Crivelli Montero and Fern andez, 1996;Prieto and Stutz, 1996;Crivelli Montero et al, 1996a,b;Pardiñas, 1999a,b;Palacios, 2005Palacios, , 2008Villarosa et al, 2006;Fern andez, 2007;Cordero, 2009Cordero, , 2010Pardiñas and Teta, 2013). Zooarchaeological studies of the early strata of LL revealed a human subsistence mostly focused on the consumption of large-sized mammals ( Montero et al, 1996a;Pardiñas, 1999a,b;Cordero, 2009Cordero, , 2010Pardiñas and Teta, 2013). On the other hand, the paleoecological contributions from LL depicted by the micromammal record pointed out a marked stability with some minor changes through the entire Holocene sequence (Crivelli Montero et al, 1996a;Pardiñas, 1999a;Pardiñas and Teta, 2013).…”

“…Zooarchaeological studies of the early strata of LL revealed a human subsistence mostly focused on the consumption of large-sized mammals ( Montero et al, 1996a;Pardiñas, 1999a,b;Cordero, 2009Cordero, , 2010Pardiñas and Teta, 2013). On the other hand, the paleoecological contributions from LL depicted by the micromammal record pointed out a marked stability with some minor changes through the entire Holocene sequence (Crivelli Montero et al, 1996a;Pardiñas, 1999a;Pardiñas and Teta, 2013).…”